Several prior truck rack systems include overhead actuation features that ease the loading and unloading of long or bulky items over the top of the truck's bed, and then over the cab of the truck. U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,220 to Mistler, for instance, includes a ‘dump-truck’ type of mechanism to tilt the rack of the pick-up truck. However, the mechanism of Mistler requires an extensive retrofit to install, and its mechanism of operation is very complex and raises up high over the truck's cab, creating a potential hazard for impacts. An improved rack is needed that tilts for access to the top level of the rack, and easily retrofits to a vehicle's bed, while operating simply and efficiently.
The following is a disclosure of the present invention that addresses these problems and shortcomings of prior vehicle rack systems, and will be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference characters included in the above drawings indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, as discussed herein. The description herein illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention, and the description herein is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. It should be understood that the above listed figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments may be illustrated by fragmentary views, graphic symbols, diagrammatic or schematic representations, and phantom lines. Details that are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention by one skilled in the technology of the invention, or render other details difficult to perceive, may have been omitted.